King Edward Memorial Hospital, 1965, by Illustrations Ltd., courtesy of State Library of Western Australia.
Details
King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) has been Western Australia's principal public maternity and gynaelogical hospital since 1916. Many young women in out of home care were admitted there, and many babies were adopted from KEMH.
In 1958, following overcrowding in the maternity wards of KEMH, the state government purchased Kensington House, at 91 Hensman Road. This was a former private maternity hospital which was converted into an annexe of KEMH known as Kensington Annexe. This was primarily used as a maternity facility, including as a place where women stayed prior to giving birth and their babies being adopted out.
In 2023, KEMH apologised for its role in past forced adoption practices, noting that "there has been a myriad of painful enduring conseqences...we are deply sorry for the trauma and heartbreak that resulted for all those who have been affected by this practice".
Sources used to compile this entry: Chinnery, Robin, 'King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH)', in Gregory, Jenny and Jan Gothard [editors] (eds), Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia, University of Western Australia Press, Crawley, W.A., 2009, pp. 512-513; King Edward Memorial Hospital, 2023, "Past Adoption Practices: Formal Apology, available at https://www.kemh.health.wa.gov.au/About-us/Formal-Apology; Heritage Council of Western Australia, 2011, "Register of Heritage Places, Kensington Private Maternity Hospital (fmr)", available at http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Admin/api/file/86c6851f-c0c1-12bc-ec3b-dce0e06cdfd5.
Prepared by: Debra Rosser
Created: 2 May 2013, Last modified: 6 November 2023